Turlock moves forward with Modesto fire contract. What did consultant recommend?

Modesto could provide fire command services for Turlock as soon as next month after the Turlock City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve the contract.

Representatives from groups including the Turlock firefighters union and consultant Citygate Associates urged the council to pass the contract lasting through June 2026.

If the Modesto City Council approves the agreement, Modesto Fire Chief Alan Ernst will serve as the head of the Turlock Fire Department as well. The contract benefits Turlock by giving access to a a full fire administration team and future efficiencies for emergency medical services, fleet services and training, Ernst said. All Turlock Fire Department staff will remain as city employees under the contract.

Citygate, which the city hired in October to conduct a six-month master plan study of Turlock Fire, said further research will not change its support for the contract. Turlock Fire needs leadership and stability, Citygate consultant Stewart Gary said, and Modesto can take care of the city’s firefighters.

“Turlock Fire had eroded to the point where things like this (contract) are a best-fit solution and will be part of the master plan,” Gary said. “There’s no material reason to wait, just like possibly buying replacement firetrucks before the master plan is fully finished.”

With all the vacancies in Turlock Fire, Gary said it makes sense to approve the contract before Citygate completes the master plan study. Turlock has gone without a permanent fire chief since June 2019, when the city fired Robert Talloni.

Both Interim Fire Chief Michael Botto and the interim division chief of operations are scheduled to leave at the end of January because of retiree hour limits, Botto said previously. He has cited their departure as one reason to consider the Modesto contract now.

The contract also includes a separation clause if needed, Gary said. Either the Turlock or Modesto City Council can vote to end the contract with a year’s notice, per the agreement.

Turlock councilwoman opposes contract

Councilwoman Nicole Larson voted against the contract, citing concerns over its duration and the intent of Measure A. Turlock voters in November 2020 passed the sales tax measure with the stated purpose of maintaining and restoring police and fire services, among other issues.

“It goes against what the voters of Measure A wanted,” Larson said. “They wanted us to invest in our fire services. They wanted us to invest in our resources.”

Larson praised staff for coming together behind the contract, but said they likely did so because of “the obvious writing on the wall.” Larson in December proposed the council review a Modesto contract around May with the Citygate study, but her motion failed, with only Councilman Andrew Nosrati’s support.

The Turlock firefighters union endorsed the contract Tuesday after opposing it last month. Ernst met with union members multiple times and answered their questions, President Chad Hackett said.

“We look forward to working with Chief Ernst and moving the Turlock Fire Department forward and being a regional partner within Stanislaus County,” Hackett said.

If the union did not support the contract, Mayor Amy Bublak said she would not have put it on the agenda for a vote. The contract invests in the Fire Department, Bublak added, and gives it long-term leadership.

“Nobody put a gun to anybody’s head and said, ‘sign this, agree with this,’” Bublak said. “To my surprise, this came back onto the agenda. I didn’t think this was gonna happen. This is because the communication was finally opened up and everyone got to the table and had the discussions that they needed to have about their lives and how this will affect our firefighters.”

The council on Tuesday also approved paying Modesto about $127,000 for fire command services from mid-February through June, the end of this fiscal year. Funds will come from the unrestricted general fund reserve, per the resolution.

Modesto already runs fire services for Ceres, Oakdale and the Oakdale Fire Protection District and employs the firefighters. The city is also slated to begin managing Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District on Feb. 1.